System for infiltrating and irrigating water into soil

ABSTRACT

This Invention relates to a soil infiltration irrigation system, which consists primarily of a water feeding pipeline, an air relieving pipeline and multiple water permeable storage containers that are pressure resistant. Each container comprises at least two components, which are coupled properly to shut out sand and dirt. The top component has a water feeding pipe connector and an air relieving pipe connector. The said connectors are connected respectively to the water feeding pipe and the air relieving pipe by means of adapters. The two pipes are in turn connected by means of hetero-diameter adapters to branch pipes leading to the main water feeding pipeline and the main air relieving pipeline. Thus, a system of two parallel pipelines is formed. The said multiple containers are either water permeable vats or combinations of water permeable vats and double-layer water permeable vats. The system may also include two-way air relieving and water shut-off valves. The soil infiltration irrigation system may be used to implement infiltration irrigation of plants and proper utilization of water resources.

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] This Invention relates to a soil infiltration irrigation systemand its implementation. In particular, it relates to a direct irrigationsystem wherein a water-feeding and air-relieving combination systemtransports water into containers, from which the water infiltratesslowly into soil at appropriate locations around the plants.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

[0002] Sprinkling irrigation and micro irrigation are two commonexamples of employing advanced technology in water conservation and highefficiency irrigation. In China, only 2% of the total irrigation areabenefits from this technology whereas the developed countries apply thistechnology to over 80% of their total irrigated areas. The need forChina's agriculture to implement water conservation technology is quiteobvious, especially in regions that have a shortage of water resources.However, sprinkling irrigation has some problems, such as blind spotsthat do not get irrigated, susceptibility to the influence of windvelocity and direction, loss of water by evaporation, and insufficientsupply of water to the deep soil layers. In micro irrigation systems,the water outlets are so small that they easily get clogged with mineralor organic particles in the water. Water pressure in the feeding linesis often affected by the terrain, causing an uneven supply of water inthe system and thus reducing the effectiveness of irrigation.

[0003] In the conventional technology, there is a system called“Underground Infiltration Irrigation Device with Water Replenishment andStorage Capabilities” (Patent Application No. 00268186.2), whichconsists of a water permeable storage container, a lid, a water supplypipe, a water-feeding and air-relieving pipe, and a plug. The lid isinstalled on the container. The water-feeding and air-relieving pipe isconnected to the lid at one end and to the water supply pipe at theother end. The water-feeding and air-relieving pipe contains twoparallel hoses inside: one for water feeding and the other for airrelieving. When the container is filled with water, the waterreplenishment process is halted. Then, it is necessary to disconnect thewater supply pipe from the water-feeding and air-relieving pipe and alsoinsert a plug to stop the opening of the latter pipe. That process isvery time-consuming and labor-intensive. In addition, the water supplypipe takes up some space that might be used for growing plants. What'smore, the water supply pipe is not easy to use, thus adversely affectingthe irrigation efficiency.

[0004] Another example of the conventional technology is a smallirrigation device called “Root Infiltration Irrigation Cup” (PatentApplication No. 99246573.7), which consists mainly of a cylindrical cupof a specific volume. The said cup has 1-4 groups of infiltration holeson the side walls of the bottom section. Each group has 1-4 directionalholes, which are covered with a screen made of non-woven cloth, embeddedsteel wool and sand filtration material or stainless steel compositefiltration meshes. The cup has a lid with a water feeding pipe attachedand an air relieving hole in it. Once the lid is placed over the upperopening of the cylindrical cup, a water supply pipe is connected to thewater feeding pipe. The cup is buried near the roots of the plant, withthe lid a little over the ground. In actual application, water has to betransported to each individual cup. Liquid fertilizers may be mixed withwater so that irrigation and fertilizer application are achieved at thesame time. This “Root Infiltration Irrigation Cup” also has problemssuch as the need to feed water to each individual cup, the occupation ofspace that might be used for growing plants, and the difficulty withmaintenance.

[0005] All in all, the applications of the conventional technologydiscussed above have the common problems of time-consuming andlabor-intensive operation, high maintenance cost, short life time, lowrecovery rate of used materials, frequent assembly and disassemblyrequirements, possibility of damage to plants, ineffective use of waterresources, high evaporation loss rate, low irrigation efficiency,occupation of plant growth space, and adverse effect on the naturalgrowth of plants.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The purpose of this Invention is to provide a soil infiltrationirrigation system and its implementation, which used undergroundcontainers such as water permeable vats or double-layer vats to sendwater directly to plant roots, thus eliminating the problem of waterevaporating on the ground. The containers are placed where the plantroots need water. This placement eliminates blind spots of irrigationand the waste of water resources.

[0007] Another purpose of this Invention is to use the water feedingpipe and the air relieving pipe to transport water directly into thecontainers and then let the water directly infiltrate the soil aroundthe plant roots. This approach of one-time investment input forlong-time use does not occupy any space on the ground surface andachieves the goal of efficient energy conservation and optimal usage ofwater resources.

[0008] The technical implementation of this Invention involves a soilinfiltration irrigation system which consists primarily of a waterfeeding pipeline, an air relieving pipeline and multiple water permeablestorage containers that are pressure resistant. Each container comprisesat least two components, which are coupled properly to shut out sand anddirt. The top component has a water feeding pipe connector and an airrelieving pipe connector. The said connectors are connected respectivelyto the water feeding pipe and the air relieving pipe by means ofadapters. The two pipes are in turn connected by means ofhetero-diameter adapters to branch pipes leading to the main waterfeeding pipeline and the main air relieving pipeline. Thus, a system oftwo parallel pipelines is formed, wherein:

[0009] Any point in the system may be selected as the water feedingpoint and be used to complete the irrigation task. One or multipleoutlets may be chosen. The outlets are the elevated points on thesystem. Each outlet may stand alone and all the air relieving pipes neednot be interconnected. An effective air relieving point must beestablished at the highest elevation on the infiltration irrigationsystem.

[0010] The equipment used in this infiltration irrigation system is awater permeable vat, which consists of a vat body and a lid. The vatbody is the water storage container and has a meshed water permeableinternal structure. The lid has two connectors installed, one for thewater feeding pipe and the other for the air relieving pipe, wherein:

[0011] The said vat body and vat lid may be separate components or acomposite unit. The circular edge of the lid forms a band that encirclesthe vat body on the outer surface.

[0012] The equipment used in this infiltration irrigation system is adouble-layer water permeable vat, which consists of an inner layer vatbody, an outer layer vat body and a lid. The inner layer vat body andthe outer layer vat body form the water storage container. The outerlayer vat body has water overflow holes and air relieving holes, whichare connected to the inner layer vat body. The vat has a meshed waterpermeable internal structure. The lid has two connectors installed, onefor the water feeding pipe and the other for the air relieving pipe,wherein:

[0013] The said water feeding connector is connected to the outer layervat body while the air relieving connector is connected to the innerlayer vat body. The bottom section of the outer layer vat body is solidand water resistant.

[0014] The said inner layer vat body, outer layer vat body and vat lidare separate components. The circular edge of the lid forms a band thatencircles the outer layer vat body on the outer surface to form acomposite unit.

[0015] The equipment used in this infiltration irrigation system mayalso include a two-way air relieving and water shut-off valve, whichconsists mainly of a valve body, a valve head, and an air relieving cap,which sits on the valve head. The cap has multiple air relieving holeson its perimeter and a semi-spherical valve core inside. The valve bodyhas an integral bracket with a blue frame. Inside the blue frame is ahollow floating ball, which may be made of rubber or metals. The upperopening of the valve body connects with the valve head. An air relievingconnector is installed in the lower opening at the bottom section of thevalve body, wherein:

[0016] The valve head is a hollow dome. Its bottom opening has groovesto connect with the outer edge of the upper opening of the valve body.In the upper section of the valve head is a valve seating cage. Theupper end of the seating cage with external screw threads on theperimeter is the semi-spherical valve core seat. The lower end of theseating cage is the floating ball seat. The seating cage, thesemi-spherical valve core and the floating ball are on the same axialline.

[0017] The said air relieving cap is a hollow cylinder. Thesemi-spherical valve core sits in the center of the upper interior ofthe cap. There are multiple evenly spaced through-holes on the perimeterof the cap. The bottom part of the cap is a flange with an opening thathas internal screw threads and evenly spaced round holes.

[0018] The said bracket also includes a floating ball holder at thebottom of the blue frame. The holder is at the same axial angle with thevalve seating cage so that, after the floating ball floats up, theholder may hold the ball in the lower seat of the valve seating cage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019]FIG. 1 shows the pipeline connection for the soil infiltrationirrigation system in this Invention (part 1).

[0020]FIG. 2 shows the pipeline connection for the soil infiltrationirrigation system in this Invention (part 2).

[0021]FIG. 3 shows an infiltration test in this Invention.

[0022]FIG. 4 shows the application of this Invention to fields inplains.

[0023]FIG. 5 shows the application of this Invention to hilly areas.

[0024]FIG. 6 shows the application of this Invention to fields onslopes.

[0025]FIG. 7 shows the structural blowup of the water permeable vat inthis Invention.

[0026]FIG. 8 shows the assembly of the water permeable vat in thisInvention.

[0027]FIG. 9 shows various structures of the water permeable vat in thisInvention.

[0028]FIG. 10 shows the structural blowup of the double-layer vat inthis Invention.

[0029]FIG. 11 shows the assembly of the double-layer vat in thisInvention.

[0030]FIG. 12 shows the structural blowup of the two-way air relievingand water shut-off valve.

[0031]FIG. 13 is a structural diagram of some parts from FIG. 12.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] See FIGS. 1 and 2. This Invention relates to an undergroundinfiltration irrigation system with parallel pipes. The saidinfiltration irrigation system consists primarily of a water feedingpipeline [4], an air relieving pipeline [5] and multiple water permeablestorage containers [1] that are pressure resistant. Each container [1]comprises at least two components, which are coupled properly to shutout sand and dirt. The top component has a water feeding pipe connector[21] and an air relieving pipe connector [22]. The said connectors [21and 22] are connected respectively to the water feeding pipe [41] andthe air relieving pipe [42] by means of adapters [46 and 47]. The twopipes are in turn connected by means of hetero-diameter adapters [43] tobranch pipes [44] leading to the main water feeding pipeline and themain air relieving pipeline. Thus, a system of two parallel pipelines isformed. The said multiple containers may be, water permeable vats [2] ordouble-layer water permeable vats [3] that are used in conjunction withwater permeable vats [2].

[0033] See FIG. 3. When the said containers [1] and part of thepipelines are buried beneath the ground surface [A], the water feedingpipeline [4] continues feeding water into the containers [1]. When thewater in the containers seeps into the soil [C], the water level [B] inthe containers gradually falls. This drawing shows the differentmoisture content and the affected scope in the soil during threedifferent time periods. The air relieving pipeline [5] lets air into andout of the containers. The air relieving pipeline is positioned athigher elevations than the water feeding pipeline.

[0034] The pipes are made of non-permeable and pressure resistantmaterials. They are all buried underground, either in a slopingdirection or on a level depth. The depth and density of the pipes dependon the needs of the plant roots. The following are a few applicationsamples:

[0035] Application Sample 1

[0036] See FIG. 4. This sample relates to the application of the soilinfiltration irrigation system in plains. The said infiltrationirrigation system is buried underground with the air relieving pipeline[5] positioned at higher elevations than the water feeding pipeline [4].Depending on the needs of the plant growth, combinations of waterpermeable vats [2] and double-layer vats [3] may be properly deployed,or the water permeable vats [2] may be used alone. The vats are buriedinto the soil beneath the water feeding pipeline [4]. Then, by means ofbranch pipes [44], hetero-diameter adapters [43], adapters [46 and 47],water feeding pipes [41], and air relieving pipes [42], the waterfeeding pipeline and the air relieving pipeline are connectedrespectively to the water feeding pipe connectors [21] and the airrelieving pipe connectors [22] (not shown in the drawing) on the waterpermeable vats [2] and the water permeable double-layer vats [3]. Thewater feeding pipes [41] and the air relieving pipes [42] have the samediameter. Two-way air relieving and water shut-off valves [8] may beproperly deployed at higher elevations on the air relieving pipeline [5]to keep the entire irrigation system working effectively.

[0037] Application Sample 2

[0038] See FIGS. 5 and 6. This sample relates to the application of thesoil infiltration irrigation system in hills and slopes. It is necessaryto determine the required water pressure based on the resistance loss inthe pipelines and the relative elevations of the hills and slopes. Then,based on the required water pressure, it is possible to determine therequired elevation of the water supply reservoir [50] or the pumpingpressure of the water pumps [7]. Those are the conditions for the properdeployment of the water supply reservoir [50] or the water pumps [7].

[0039] See FIG. 5. The said air relieving pipeline [5] has air outlets[9] installed at a specific elevation, which is identical to therequired elevation. In places of substantial elevation differences,two-way air relieving and water shut-off valves [8] are installed. Thosevalves are connected to the air relieving pipeline [5]. A master airrelieving valve [20], such as a sluice valve, a stop valve, a sphericalvalve or a butterfly valve, is installed at each elevated back-slopeterminal point of the air relieving pipeline [5]. A master water supplyvalve [10] is installed at either end of the water feeding pipeline andat each necessary point on the water feeding pipeline. The master valves[10 and 20] should be two-way air relieving and water shut-off valves.

[0040] In the water feeding process, when the water level reaches orexceeds the position of the two-way air relieving and water shut-offvalve at each elevated point, the two-way valve automatically shuts offto prevent water from flowing through.

[0041] The applications discussed above may be pressurized feeding oratmospheric feeding.

[0042] See FIG. 6. In the atmospheric feeding process, a water supplyreservoir [50] with a cover [52] is built upstream of the water feedingpipeline [4] and the air relieving pipeline [5]. The reservoir is builtwith non-degradable solid materials to meet the requirements on waterstorage and non-permeability. A screen [51] is placed over each waterinlet and air outlet to prevent debris from entering and clogging thepipelines and the containers. The connection for the water feedingpipeline is at the bottom of the reservoir [50] and the connection forthe air relieving pipeline is above the water feeding level [B] in thereservoir. Decals on the reservoir should indicate the total volume ofthe containers in the system as well as implementation diagrams for eachsection of the system. The reservoir [50] helps to alleviate theirrigation water pressure, thus preventing damage to the irrigationsystem due to excessive water pressure. It also helps in the choice ofirrigation water supply and water transport method. This application issuitable for planted areas that have permanent irrigation water supplysources but need to have the water transported to desired places.

[0043] In the pressurized feeding process, when the planted area [D] ishigher than the water source [6] and the water feeding pipelineconnection point, a two-way air relieving and water shut-off valve [8]is added to the system and installed above the ground surface [A] (seeFIG. 5). The water feeding pipeline [4] has an externally connectedbooster pump (not shown in the drawing). Water is sent directly to fillthe water permeable vats [2] and double-layer water permeable vats [3]or just the water permeable vats [2] alone. Then, water slowly seepsthrough the vats into the soil around the plant roots to be directlyabsorbed by the roots. This is the infiltration irrigation approach forplants.

[0044] Alternatively, the said irrigation water may be directly fed intoa container [1] through its water feeding pipe connector [21]. The waterflows out of this container through its air relieving pipe connectorinto the water feeding pipe connector [21] of the next vat, and so on.Thus, multiple vats may be filled at once.

[0045] Any point in the pipeline system may be selected as the waterfeeding point and be used to complete the irrigation task at once.

[0046] One or multiple outlets on the said air relieving pipeline [5]may be equipped with one or multiple two-way air relieving and watershut-off valves [8]. The outlets are set up at the elevated points onthe system. Each outlet may stand alone and all the air relieving pipesneed not be interconnected.

[0047] See FIGS. 7 and 8. The equipment used in this soil infiltrationirrigation system is a water permeable vat.

[0048] The said water permeable vat [2] is made of non-degradable solidmaterials and possesses both the water storage and water infiltrationfeatures. The vat consists of a vat body [24] and a lid [25]. The vatbody [24] is the water storage container [23] and has a meshed waterpermeable internal structure. It has the infiltration irrigationfunction as well as the water storage function. The lid [25] has twoconnectors installed: a water feeding pipe connector [21] and an airrelieving pipe connector [22].

[0049] The said vat body [24] may assume the form of a cylinder, aprism, a cube, a pyramid or some other objects (see the forms shown inFIG. 9).

[0050] The said water feeding pipe connector [21] and air relieving pipeconnector [22] on the vat lid [25] may offer the plug-in type ofconnection or the screw-on type of connection. They are connected to thewater feeding pipe adapter [47] and the air relieving pipe adapter [46]respectively.

[0051] The said vat body [24] is made from a mixture of clay and sand bycalcination.

[0052] The said vat body [24] is made from a mixture of cement andpebbles by extrusion.

[0053] The said vat body [24] is made from pressed sand tubes.

[0054] The said vat body [24] and vat lid [25] may be separatecomponents or a composite unit. The circular edge of the lid [25] formsa band that encircles the vat body [24] on the outer surface.

[0055] The said vat body [24] and vat lid [25] are separate components.A base [26] may be added to and fixed on the vat body [24] (see FIG. 9).

[0056] The said water permeable vat [2] and the pipelines discussedearlier are deployed around the plant roots that need irrigation. Whenwater is supplied to the system, it begins to irrigate the plants.Neutralized water, rainwater, underground water and water from riversand lakes is used to meet the plant irrigation needs. At the same time,due to its own gravity, the irrigation water seeps deep down the soil toform new water sources.

[0057] See FIGS. 10 and 11. The equipment used in this soil infiltrationirrigation system is a double-layer water permeable vat.

[0058] The said double-layer water permeable vat [3] is made ofnon-degradable solid materials and possesses both the water storage andwater infiltration features. The vat consists of an inner layer vat body[31], an outer layer vat body [32] and a lid [33]. The inner layer vatbody [31] and the outer layer vat body [32] form the water storagecontainers [34 and 35]. The outer layer vat body [32] has water overflowholes and air relieving holes [36], which are connected to the innerlayer vat body [31]. The vat has a meshed water permeable internalstructure. It has the infiltration irrigation function as well as thewater storage function. The lid [33] has two connectors installed: awater feeding pipe connector [21] and an air relieving pipe connector[22].

[0059] The said water feeding pipe connector [21] is connected to theouter layer vat body [32] while the air relieving pipe connector [22] isconnected to the inner layer vat body [31]. The bottom section of theouter layer vat body is solid and water resistant.

[0060] The said water feeding pipe connector [21] and air relieving pipeconnector [22] on the vat lid [33] may offer the plug-in type ofconnection or the screw-on type of connection. They are connected to thewater feeding pipe adapter [47] and the air relieving pipe adapter [46]respectively.

[0061] The said inner layer vat body [31] and outer layer vat body [32]are made from a mixture of clay and sand by calcination.

[0062] The said inner layer vat body [31] and outer layer vat body [32]are made from a mixture of cement and pebbles by extrusion.

[0063] The said inner, layer vat body [31] and outer layer vat body [32]are made from pressed sand tubes.

[0064] The said inner layer vat body [31], outer layer vat body [32] andvat lid [33] are separate components. The circular edge of the lid [33]forms a band that encircles the outer layer vat body [32] on the outersurface. The bottom section of the outer layer vat body [32] is solidand water resistant. It clips on to the upper section of the vat body.

[0065] The said double-layer water permeable vats function in the samemanner as the water permeable vats. However, they are deployed in placeswhere the plant roots go deeper. They are placed around plant roots indeep soil layers where the regular water permeable vats cannot reach.Therefore, they are used to meet the plant needs at different soildepths. Generally speaking, the outer lay vat bodies [32] are suitablefor surface soil layer irrigation while the inner layer vat bodies [31]are used for deep soil layer water storage and irrigation.

[0066] See FIGS. 12 and 13. The equipment used in this soil infiltrationirrigation system may also include a two-way air relieving and watershut-off valve.

[0067] The said two-way valve [8] opens when it detects air and closeswhen it detects water. It is a duplex buoy shut-off valve.

[0068] The said two-way air relieving and water shut-off valve [8]consists mainly of a valve body [81], a valve head [82], and an airrelieving cap [83], which sits on the valve head [82]. The cap hasmultiple air relieving holes on its perimeter and a semi-spherical valvecore inside. The valve body [81] has an integral bracket [84] with ablue frame [85]. Inside the blue frame is a hollow floating ball [86],which may be made of rubber or metals. The upper opening of the valvebody [81] connects with the valve head [82]. An air relieving connector[88] is installed in the lower opening at the bottom section of thevalve body.

[0069] The said valve head [82] is a hollow dome. Its bottom opening hasgrooves [824] to connect with the outer edge of the upper opening of thevalve body [81]. In the upper section of the valve head is a valveseating cage [821]. The upper end of the seating cage with externalscrew threads on the perimeter is the upper seat [822] for thesemi-spherical valve core [831]. The lower end of the seating cage isthe lower seat [823] for the floating ball [86]. The seating cage [821],the semi-spherical valve core [831] and the floating ball [86] are onthe same axial line.

[0070] The said air relieving cap [83] is a hollow cylinder. Thesemi-spherical valve core [831] sits in the center of the upper interiorof the cap. There are multiple evenly spaced through-holes [832] on theperimeter of the cap. The bottom part of the cap is a flange [833] withan opening that has internal screw threads and evenly spaced round holes[834].

[0071] The said bracket [84] also includes a floating ball holder [87]at the bottom of the blue frame [85]. The holder is at the same axialangle with the valve seating cage [821] so that, after the floating ball[86] floats up, the holder may hold the ball in the lower seat [823] ofthe valve seating cage.

[0072] The said two-way air relieving and water shut-off valves [8] aredeployed at the outlets on the air relieving pipeline and the inlets onthe water feeding pipeline. Such a deployment facilitates air relievingalong the pipelines and makes it possible to expand the irrigation areaand range. With such a deployment, the system is able to performpressurized feeding from downstream to the upstream irrigation area.Such a deployment can replace the function of a water supply reservoirand is suitable for use with permanent water sources and in mechanicalpressurized water feeding.

[0073] At the beginning of the water feeding process, with the two-wayair relieving and water shut-off valves [8] connected to the airrelieving pipeline [5] at elevated points, first turn off the mastervalve [20] at the head of the air relieving pipeline [5], and then turnloose the air relieving cap [83] on each two-way air relieving and watershut-off valve [8] to open the cap. When water is fed into the vats, theair inside the vats flows through the air relieving pipeline [5] to thenearest two-way air relieving and water shut-off valve [8] and then intothe atmosphere. The escape of the air ensures that water will fill thevats. When all the vats near a specific two-way air relieving and watershut-off valve [8] are filled with water, the extra water flows from theair relieving pipe connector on each vat into the air relieving pipeline[5] and then out of the nearest two-way air relieving and water shut-offvalve [8]. Meanwhile, the floating ball rises to the lower valve seat[823] to prevent the overflow of water. If the floating ballmalfunctions and fails to shut off the overflow, turn the air relievingcap [83] tight to close the two-way air relieving and water shut-offvalve [8] so that the water feeding pipeline [4] may continue to feedwater to other water permeable vats [2] or double-layer water permeablevats [3]. Otherwise, the water in the water feeding pipeline [4] willflow through the two-way air relieving and water shut-off valve [8] ontothe ground, thus disrupting the water supply to the other vats.

[0074] The following is a proper procedure for infiltration irrigation.First, check the master air relieving valves [20] at both ends of theair relieving pipeline [5] and turn them off. Turn loose the airrelieving cap [83] on each two-way air relieving and water shut-offvalve [8] to open the cap. Open the master water feeding valve [10] atthe end of the water feeding pipeline [4]. Determine the required waterfeeding pressure based on the resistance in the pipelines and therelative elevation of the highest point in the soil infiltrationirrigation system. Then, based on the total volume of the pipelines andthe total volume of the vats, determine the required amount of waterneeded for the irrigation. Transport that amount of water into the watersupply reservoir. Open the master water feeding valve [10] at the headof the water feeding pipeline [4] to feed water into the systempipelines. When water is fed into the vats, the air inside the vatsflows through the air relieving connector and the air relieving pipelineto the two-way air relieving and water shut-off valve and then into theatmosphere.

[0075] When the vats are filled with water, due to the cut-off functionof the air relieving pipeline and the time delay, the water head in theair relieving pipeline [5] is always behind the water head in the waterfeeding pipeline [4]. An effective air outlet is deployed on the airrelieving pipeline [5] at the highest elevation in the entire system.When water overflows from that outlet, it means that the infiltrationirrigation process is completed.

[0076] During the irrigation process, the water in the pipelines willalso flow into the vats and then gradually seeps into the soil toirrigate the plant roots.

[0077] This Invention has the following benefits:

[0078] 1. Since it is almost totally buried underground, this soilinfiltration irrigation system offers the benefit of one-time investmentinput for long-time use. It does not occupy any plant growth space orground surface space. It is simple to operate and saves time and effort.It does not damage the plants. Instead, the air circulation provided bythe air relieving pipeline improves the breathing conditions and thefertility of the soil, thus facilitating plant growth.

[0079] 2. This soil infiltration irrigation system is simple instructure and does not have rigid requirements on accuracy. It may bedeployed in a lot of different places and is suitable for irrigation inplanted areas on plains, slopes, hills, deserts, and hard groundsurfaces. It offers the benefits of ready component availability, lowcosts, and a long life time. The pipeline network of this system makesit possible to expand the irrigation range, ensure simple and smoothoperation, and save time and labor.

[0080] 3. This soil infiltration irrigation system does not have rigidrequirements on water quality, so it may make full use of waste waterfrom people's daily life. Neutralized or treated waste water, rainwater,and water from rivers and lakes may all be used in plant irrigation.After meeting the irrigation needs, any extra water, due to its gravity,seeps into the deep soil layers to replenish the underground waterresources. The utilization of waste water and the retention of naturalwater form a positive cycle. Therefore, this system is useful to theecological preservation and development in regions that have a shortageof water resources.

1. A soil infiltration irrigation system, which consists primarily of awater feeding pipeline, an air relieving pipeline and multiple waterpermeable storage containers that are pressure resistant. Each containercomprises at least two components, which are coupled properly to shutout sand and dirt. The top component has a water feeding pipe connectorand an air relieving pipe connector. The said connectors are connectedrespectively to the water feeding pipe and the air relieving pipe bymeans of adapters. The two pipes are in turn connected by means ofhetero-diameter adapters to branch pipes leading to the main waterfeeding pipeline and the main air relieving pipeline. Thus, a system oftwo parallel pipelines is formed.
 2. The infiltration irrigation systemas described in claim 1, wherein the said pipes are made ofnon-permeable and pressure resistant materials. The pipes and otherstructural components are all buried underground, either in a slopingdirection or on a level depth. The depth and density of the pipes andother components depend on the needs of the plant roots.
 3. Theinfiltration irrigation system as described in claims 1 or 2, wherein,in the atmospheric feeding process, a water supply reservoir or a sealedwater tank is built upstream of the water feeding pipeline and the airrelieving pipeline. The reservoir has screens and a cover. Theconnection for the water feeding pipeline is at the bottom of thereservoir and the connection for the air relieving pipeline is above thewater feeding level in the reservoir. Decals on the reservoir shouldindicate the total volume of the containers in the system as well asimplementation diagrams for each section of the system.
 4. Theinfiltration irrigation system as described in claims 1 or 2, wherein,in the pressurized feeding process, when the planted area is higher thanthe water source and the water feeding pipeline connection point, atwo-way air relieving and water shut-off valve is added to the systemand installed above the ground surface. The water feeding pipeline hasan externally connected booster pump. Water is sent directly to fill thesystem for irrigation.
 5. The infiltration irrigation system asdescribed in claim 1, wherein the said irrigation water may be directlyfed into the containers through the serially connected water feedingpipe connectors on the containers, thus eliminating the need for adedicated air relieving pipeline.
 6. The infiltration irrigation systemas described in claim 1, wherein the said air relieving pipeline has airoutlets installed at a specific elevation, which is identical to therequired elevation. In places of substantial elevation differences,two-way air relieving and water shut-off valves are installed.
 7. Theinfiltration irrigation system as described in claim 1, wherein anypoint in the system may be selected as the water feeding point and beused to complete the irrigation task. One or multiple outlets may bechosen. The outlets are the elevated points on the system. Each outletmay stand alone and all the air relieving pipes need not beinterconnected. An effective air relieving point must be established atthe highest elevation on the infiltration irrigation system.
 8. A typeof equipment used in the soil infiltration irrigation system, whereinthe said equipment is a water permeable vat.
 9. The equipment asdescribed in claim 8, wherein the said water permeable vat consists of avat body and a lid. The vat body is the water storage container and hasa meshed water permeable internal structure. The lid has two connectorsinstalled: a water feeding pipe connector and an air relieving pipeconnector.
 10. The equipment as described in claim 9, wherein the saidvat body may assume the form of a cylinder, a prism, or a cube.
 11. Theequipment as described in claim 9, wherein the said water feeding pipeconnector and air relieving pipe connector on the vat lid may offer theplug-in type of connection or the screw-on type of connection. They areconnected to the water feeding pipe adapter and the air relieving pipeadapter respectively.
 12. The equipment as described in claim 9, whereinthe said vat body is made from a mixture of clay and sand bycalcination.
 13. The equipment as described in claim 9, wherein the saidvat body is made from a mixture of cement and pebbles by extrusion. 14.The equipment as described in claim 9, wherein the said vat body is madefrom pressed sand tubes.
 15. The equipment as described in claim 9,wherein the said vat body and vat lid may be separate components or acomposite unit. The circular edge of the lid forms a band that encirclesthe vat body on the outer surface.
 16. A type of equipment used in thesoil infiltration irrigation system, wherein the said equipment is adouble-layer water permeable vat.
 17. The equipment as described inclaim 16, wherein the said double-layer water permeable vat consists ofan inner layer vat body, an outer layer vat body and a lid. The innerlayer vat body and the outer layer vat body form the water storagecontainers. The outer layer vat body has water overflow holes and airrelieving holes, which are connected to the inner layer vat body. Thevat has a meshed water permeable internal structure. The lid has twoconnectors installed: a water feeding pipe connector and an airrelieving pipe connector.
 18. The equipment as described in claim 17,wherein the said water feeding pipe connector is connected to the outerlayer vat body while the air relieving pipe connector is connected tothe inner layer vat body. The bottom section of the outer layer vat bodyis solid and water resistant.
 19. The equipment as described in claim17, wherein the said water feeding pipe connector and air relieving pipeconnector on the vat lid may offer the plug-in type of connection or thescrew-on type of connection. They are connected to the water feedingpipe adapter and the air relieving pipe adapter respectively.
 20. Theequipment as described in claim 17, wherein the said inner layer vatbody, outer layer vat body and vat lid are separate components. Thecircular edge of the lid forms a band that encircles the outer layer vatbody on the outer surface.
 21. A type of additional equipment used inthe soil infiltration irrigation system, wherein the said additionalequipment is a two-way air relieving and water shut-off valve.
 22. Theequipment as described in claim 21, wherein the said two-way valveconsists mainly of a valve body, a valve head, and an air relieving cap,which sits on the valve head. The cap has multiple air relieving holeson its perimeter and a semi-spherical valve core inside. The valve bodyhas an integral bracket with a blue frame. Inside the blue frame is ahollow floating ball, which may be made of rubber or metals. The upperopening of the valve body connects with the valve head. An air relievingconnector is installed in the lower opening at the bottom section of thevalve body.
 23. The equipment as described in claim 22, wherein the saidvalve head is a hollow dome. Its bottom opening has grooves to connectwith the outer edge of the upper opening of the valve body. In the uppersection of the valve head is a valve seating cage. The upper end of theseating cage with external screw threads on the perimeter is the upperseat for the semi-spherical valve core. The lower end of the seatingcage is the lower seat for the floating ball. The seating cage, thesemi-spherical valve core and the floating ball are on the same axialline.
 24. The equipment as described in claim 22, wherein the said airrelieving cap is a hollow cylinder. The semi-spherical valve core sitsin the center of the upper interior of the cap. There are multipleevenly spaced through-holes on the perimeter of the cap. The bottom partof the cap is a flange with an opening that has internal screw threadsand evenly spaced round holes.
 25. The equipment as described in claim22, wherein the said bracket also includes a floating ball holder at thebottom of the blue frame. The holder is at the same axial angle with thevalve seating cage so that, after the floating ball floats up, theholder may hold the ball in the lower seat of the valve seating cage.